Sunday, May 29, 2011

Today's fortune: May 29, 2011

Today's fortune: Your careful nature will bring you financial success.

I've received a handful of money and finance-related fortunes during this project. They've inspired me to create a budget and go on financial lockdown, among other things. We're doing really well on lockdown by learning to live within and below our means, and although we haven't seen an immediate benefit in our bank account, I can tell we're close to making a difference in our savings.

Having a careful nature when it comes to money has always been a challenge for me. It's not like I'm piling up credit card debt, but usually when I see something I want, I buy it. You have no idea how difficult it was for me to not purchase that fake iPad I wrote about last month.

My habit of buying what I want when I want it is not only bad for the budget, it also makes it hard for Jamie when it comes time to buy presents for me. But don't worry, honey. I've already told you what I want for Christmas and my birthday this year: a ukelele and some books or CDs about how to play it.

If she gives me one I'll say, "Thank yuh vurry muuuuch."

In addition to financial planning, I also made an investment today in my family. Jamie and I spent most of the day at my parents' house with the folks and my brother and sister-in-law. During the afternoon I devoted time to seeking out the color yellow, as inspired by yesterday's fortune: Focus on the color yellow tomorrow for good luck!

For lunch, we dined on several yellow foods, including corn on the cob and pork chops basted with a yellow mustard-based barbecue sauce (delicious). Mom also made a special treat, a yellow cake topped with cinnamon and sugar, just like my grandma used to make.

"I bought the cake mix a few days ago, before I ready our yellow fortune," Mom said. "I thought this would be the perfect treat for today." It was.


Then we played a really fun game called Smart Ass. We played three rounds, and the family's three biggest smartasses won: my brother, my mother and I. My victory came using the yellow gamepiece.


Finally, the family took an afternoon stroll to the cemetery down the road from my parents' house. For Memorial Day, U.S. flags have been placed along all the paths inside the cemetery, and upon each flag is a yellow-gold plaque honoring a soldier who has passed on.


The plaque pictured above is in honor of my grandfather, Henry Ruettgers, who served in the Army during World War II.

During this Memorial Day weekend, it's important to remember the people whose lack of yellowness purchased our freedom.

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